Philly Leader

PHILADELPHIA -- John Middleton, the Phillies' managing partner and CEO, has expressed his frustration with the team's recent performance. "The first week was bad," Middleton said Friday. "But that happens. The second week was worse. But that happens. By the time it got to the third and fourth week, it was like, OK, stop."

The Phillies experienced a downturn after playing at a 106-win pace through mid-July but have shown signs of recovery following a team meeting on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. They won four of their next five games and aim to sustain this momentum as they embark on a six-game road trip in Atlanta starting Tuesday.

With 38 games remaining before the postseason, FanGraphs gives the Phillies a 99.5 percent chance to make it to October. However, for Middleton and the organization, merely making the postseason is not enough; their goal is a World Series championship.

“It’s time to shake off the cobwebs and start playing like it’s May or June,” Middleton stated. He emphasized that success requires proactive effort: “I don’t think you can just sit there and say, ‘Oh, well this has happened and therefore we’ll turn it around.’ I don't think you can be that passive.”

Middleton also highlighted the importance of leadership from Dave Dombrowski, who has extensive experience navigating challenging periods in baseball: “He’s seen not just his teams but other teams like the Diamondbacks and Rangers go through these periods... He just doesn’t accept people who don’t do their jobs well.”

Former Phillies general manager Pat Gillick once told Middleton that luck plays a crucial role in winning championships: “To win the World Series, you have to have 25 healthy guys who are playing well at precisely the right moment in time.” This perspective has influenced Middleton's understanding of what it takes to succeed in postseason baseball.

Reflecting on past successes and failures, such as getting hot in 2008 or going cold in the 2023 NLCS, Middleton acknowledged how fragile these moments can be: “The moments when all the stars align ... you have to get the breaks.”

These recent wins have brought some relief to Middleton during Wall of Fame and Alumni weekend at Citizens Bank Park. His emotional investment in the team is evident: “That's largely my personality,” he admitted.

Middleton feels a deep responsibility towards Phillies fans: “This is why it’s important to go out and sign people like Bryce Harper... It’s because this is how the fans react.” He emphasized that owning a sports team involves public accountability: “It may be a privately-held business that we own, but it’s not a private organization... We are accountable to the fans and to the city.”